Unity is anything but unified as the team fractures and must start from scratch. But they’d better hurry because a new threat is looming…and Ninjak must tackle a viral epidemic that has been lying in wait for generations. A sickness is spreading across the land and only the doctor has the cure… Dr. Silk!

“Mission: Improbable” rockets into its explosive climax as four world-shattering forces collide! Will Bloodshot re-capture Archer for Project Rising Spirit…or is a double-cross in the works?! Will H.A.R.D. Corps figure out how you kill an immortal like Armstrong…or are they going home in body bags? Only one thing’s for certain…it doesn’t matter who loses – you win!

Limited to 500 copies, this WonderCon-exclusive release captures Valiant’s team of wayward teenage heroes just before they strike out into the pages of the most important Harbinger story ever told in “Death of a Renegade” – an all-new turning point beginning in April’s Harbinger #22 that will see one of the Renegades’ own fall…and change everything that follows in its wake.

Then, join an all-star panel of Valiant creators and staff on Saturday, April 19th at 11:30 AM PST in Room #203 for the VALIANT COMICS: INSIDE VALIANT FIRST panel presentation, spotlighting the biggest wave of must-read releases yet from one of the most acclaimed and in-demand publishers in comics today! What do you read FIRST? All summer long, Valiant will be rocketing to the top of your read pile with VALIANT FIRST – an all-new initiative unleashing a major #1 issue each month from May onward by some of the most talented creators in comics. And, with ARMOR HUNTERS, the Earth-shaking comic book event of 2014, just weeks away, check in here to find out what the future holds for Valiant’s award-winning heroes. Plus: get your first look at all-new news and artwork from RAI, THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE, UNITY, X-O MANOWAR, QUANTUM AND WOODY, HARBINGER, BLOODSHOT, and much more!

This April, get ready to see Quantum and Woody‘s world famous sidekick, Vincent Van Goat, like you’ve never seen him before – 45 feet tall and straddling the entrance to Chicago’s McCormick Place!

Valiant is proud to announce that it has partnered with ReedPOP to attempt a new world record on site at C2E2 2014 – Chicago’s premier comics and pop culture convention – to claim the title of “world’s largest freestanding goat” just as the convention opens it doors to the public on April 25th, 2014.

“The Goat has been the MVP of Quantum and Woody – and maybe all of Valiant – when it comes to piquing interest and curiosity in new readers,” said James Asmus, writer of Quantum and Woody. “I have no doubt that having to enter the convention by walking beneath the realistic under-side of a giant goat will have lots of new comic fans asking ‘What the [expletive of choice] is this about?’”

“For whatever reason, the fans just can’t get enough Goat. We finally gave in and gave them the Goat #0 origin issue, but that just made it worse. We’ve got dozens of people showing up to our offices each day. They’re getting tattoos. They’re legally changing their names to ‘Vincent Van Goat,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce.

“We’re mystified, but we figured, hey, bigger is better right? Hence, the world’s largest freestanding goat was born. Or, rather, will be built. At minimal risk to the surrounding populace. We hope,” added Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.

“Valiant is doing what?” said Jennifer Martin, Sales Executive for ReedPOP. “Not only do they not have permission to build whatever this thing is, it sounds incredibly reckless. This is ill-advised on multiple levels, not to mention unsafe.”

Under the strict observation of Valiant interns, the volunteer G.O.A.T. squad (the Giant Organizational Assembly Team) will begin work today on the 45 foot tall by 25 foot wide effigy dedicated to the greatness of the world’s worst superhero team and their square-pupiled partner-in-crime. A standard size representation of Quantum and Woody, with accompanying banana, will also be provided for scale.

But Quantum and Woody fans rejoice – Valiant isn’t stopping there! Not only will the sculpture qualify as the largest goat ever erected in the history of human civilization, but it will also double as a fully functioning piñata to be stuffed with comics, candy, fireworks…and even smaller goat piñatas.

To be constructed with materials including discount-quality chicken wire, pipefittings, and kerosene-soaked human hair, Valiant’s project managers expect the project to be completed in just under three weeks with a minimal loss of human life. The record-setting goat will be displayed for all three days of C2E2, culminating with Sunday’s “Valiant First Piñata Party,” during which attending fans will be equipped with official Goat bludgeoning rods. The first fan to successfully penetrate the artificial beast’s incredibly flammable hide and unearth the goodies inside will be offered up in tribute to the gods of retailer ordering practices.

Parking is expected to be difficult. In the event of lightning, maintain a minimum safe distance and shelter in place.

Reading the complete text of this announcement qualifies as a legal waiver for any and all immediate and/or longterm bodily harm and/or property damage that may result from contact with said sculpture. Enjoy the show!

Valiant is proud to present an advance preview of HARBINGER #22 – the FIRST ISSUE of DEATH OF A RENEGADE, a devastating new turning point for Valiant’s acclaimed superhero series from New York Times best-selling creators Joshua Dysart (Harbinger Wars, Unknown Soldier) and Clayton Henry (Harbinger Wars, Incredible Hercules)! Peter. Kris. Flamingo. Torque. Zephyr. Anyone can be killed – and, on April 23rd, one of the Renegades’s own will begin an inescapable collision course toward the ultimate sacrifice.

Peter Stanchek and his wayward team of teenage Renegades thought they had found freedom. They thought they could get their old lives back. They thought they could bring down Toyo Harada and the Harbinger Foundation. They were wrong. And, soon, one of them will die.

“It’s not hyperbole to say that EVERYTHING will change after this,” Joshua Dysart told USA Today. “People say that, but in the past we’ve proven that we mean it. And this time I think people will be very surprised as to what’s going to happen in this book.”

Jump on board the series that The Onion/A.V. Club calls “the crown jewel of Valiant’s line-up” with DEATH OF A RENEGADE, on April 23rd in HARBINGER #22 – the opening chapter of the most important Harbinger story ever told…and the beginning of a milestone moment that will define everything that follows in its wake.

Eric needs to know he can trust Woody — and that means Woody needs to get a job, open a bank account, sign up for a library card, and do all the things a responsible adult does. But when a new gang of rogue mad-scientist super-criminals launch a wave of ROBO-CRIME, will Woody stop them…or join them? Plus – the return of EDISON’S RADICAL ACQUISITIONS?!

Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps have captured Obadiah Archer and jailed him within their secret compound – but have they trapped Archer or has Archer trapped them? Attacked from within, and with a fighting-mad Armstrong ready to break down the doors, Project Rising Spirit is learning the hard way that breaking up Valiant’s premier team of conspiracy busters is tough to do!

Valiant is proud to present an advance look inside RAI #2 – the second issue of RAI’s staggering first story arc by superstar creators Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT) and Clayton Crain (X-Force, Carnage)! This summer, discover the astonishing world of the 41st century as the VALIANT FIRST initiative launches in force!

In the far future of 4001 A.D., Japan is a single endless city-state, governed by a benevolent artificial intelligence and policed by one lone enforcer – the mysterious Rai, spirit guardian of the rising sun. But, soon, a single bullet will shatter the peace it has taken 2,000 years to secure…

On April 30th, start at the beginning to step into a daring new vision of what comics can be in RAI #1 – the must-read FIRST ISSUE of Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain‘s breakneck new series. Then, the radical journey into a future transformed continues on June 4th in RAI #2 – featuring fully painted interiors by Clayton Crain! Contact your local retailer to pre-order your copies today!

What do you read first? Throughout 2014, VALIANT FIRST will be rocketing to the top of your read pile with a major #1 issue debut monthly by some of the most talented creators in comics. Each month, Valiant is committed to delivering compelling and accessible new entry points to its award-winning publishing line – all while releasing no more than nine core titles per month by the end of the year. A combination of new ongoing titles, unprecedented crossover collisions, and high-profile mini-series, these are the books that will have you reading Valiant FIRST when you head home from the comic shop – and it all begins on April 30th in RAI #1!

*For Valiant’s dedicated pullbox subscription customers, celebrate the launch of VALIANT FIRST with a special expanded edition of RAI #1, featuring 16 extra pages of in-story bonus features and dedicated looks inside the world of 4001 A.D. that won’t be collected for the trade paperback!

Valiant is proud to announce that both X-O MANOWAR #23 and X-O MANOWAR #24 – featuring the landmark PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS, Valiant’s summer 2014 crossover event – have both completely sold out at the distributor level and will soon return to store shelves with new covers featuring the stunning interior art of red-hot rising star Diego Bernard (Red Lanterns, Eternal Warrior)!

“Diego Bernard is a phenomenal new talent, and he’s delivering some truly mind-blowing work on PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS. He’s dedicated to X-O Manowar for the long haul and, with his first issues rocketing into a lightning-fast sell-out, this is a perfect opportunity to showcase his jaw-dropping interiors with new covers for X-O MANOWAR #23 and X-O MANOWAR #24,” said Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons.

Written by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern, The Flash) with art by Bernard, the road to the Valiant event of 2014 begins right here in PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS as X-O Manowar hurtles toward his first epic confrontation with the galaxy’s most feared team of hunter-killers. For eons, one threat above all others has brought pain and strife down upon civilizations across the universe – the X-O Manowar armor. And now X-O Manowar has come to Earth. What will follow in its wake? Only the creature called Malgam knows the truth…and, before the ARMOR HUNTERS strike this June, Aric of Dacia is about to be forced into a brutal confrontation with the deadly legacy behind the universe’s most powerful weapon.

“The fact that we’re seeing such high demand for ARMOR HUNTERS-related titles months before the event launches in full this June – and even before X-O MANOWAR #24 has arrived in stores – is an excellent indication that Valiant’s upcoming crossover will be the event to watch this summer. These two prelude issues are an indispensable introduction to the action-packed blockbuster of a story that Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite have in store,” said Hunter Gorinson, Valiant’s Director of Marketing, Communications, and Digital Media. “Combine those facts with Diego Bernard’s incredible artwork, and you can see why PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS is a pivotal turning point for one of Valiant’s flagship series.”

Picking up out of the pages of X-O MANOWAR #23 and X-O MANOWAR #24, New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite unleash the first issue of 2014’s must-read crossover event this June in ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4). Then, Valiant’s biggest heroes launch the resistance against the world’s first full-scale cosmic threat with new arcs beginning in UNITY #8 and X-O MANOWAR #26 in June; and ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #1 (of 3) and ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #1 (of 3) beginning in July!

Don’t miss the opening salvo of the cataclysm that is to come right here with the X-O MANOWAR #23 SECOND PRINTING and X-O MANOWAR #24 SECOND PRINTING – featuring new covers from Valiant’s next heat-seeking superstar Diego Bernard! Start reading here to find out why PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS is a comic book milestone in the making:

“The fact that this is only the prelude to the Armor Hunters storyline is very good news. If things start off this awesome, they can only get better.” – IGN

“✮✮✮✮✮… X-O Manowar always pushes forward towards something greater and that’s what makes this just not a top book at Valiant, but also a top book in comics in general. This next arc kicks off with a bang…” – Comic Vine

“Armor Hunters is the next big thing at Valiant… I can dig that for sure.” – Multiversity Comics

*RETAILERS BE ADVISED: Due to the lead time needed to produce chromium, Armor Hunters Chromium Editions will be available in robust but limited quantities set prior to solicitation, and orders may be allocated.

Valiant is proud to present an advance look inside the RAI #1 PLUS EDITION – a first-of-its-kind, experimental new format expanding the first issue of superstar creators Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain‘s visionary new series with 15+ extra pages of in-story content!

Packed with exclusive stories and art from the minds of Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT) and Clayton Crain (Carnage) – plus all-new contributions from writer Sean Ryan (Suicide Squad) and artist Raul Allen (Secret Avengers) – the RAI #1 PLUS EDITION is your chance to explore the far-flung world of 41st century Japan with never-before-seen stories, maps, posters, and pin-ups drawn directly from the mythology of Valiant’s next smash-hit series!

But fans be advised: the extra material presented in the RAI #1 PLUS EDITION won’t be collected for the trade paperback and supplies will be limited to initial orders only, so contact your local comic retailer to pre-order your copy today! Jump into one of the most anticipated new series of the summer by getting the story within the story right here on April 30th, only in the RAI #1 PLUS EDITION!

*For Valiant’s dedicated pullbox subscription customers, celebrate the launch of VALIANT FIRST with a special expanded edition of RAI #1, featuring 16 extra pages of in-story bonus features and dedicated looks inside the world of 4001 A.D. that won’t be collected for the trade paperback!

Valiant is proud to present an all-new look inside RAI #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of the hotly anticipated ongoing series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT) with fully painted interiors by superstar artist Clayton Crain (X-Force, Carnage) arriving in stores on April 30th!

The year is 4001 A.D. – led by the artificial intelligence called “Father,” the island nation of Japan has expanded out of the Pacific and into geosynchronous orbit with the ravaged Earth below. With billions to feed and protect, it has fallen to one solitary guardian to enforce the law of Father’s empire – the mysterious folk hero known as Rai. They say he can appear out of nowhere. They say he is a spirit…the ghost of Japan. But when the first murder in a thousand years threatens to topple Father’s benevolent reign, Rai will be forced to confront the true face of a nation transformed…and his own long-lost humanity…

The first series of the VALIANT FIRST publishing initiative, RAI #1 is an experience unlike anything else in comics today – and a perfect introduction to Valiant’s award-winning line of titles! Hitting stores one week early on April 30th – just before Free Comic Book Day 2014 – start reading here to explore a daring new vision of the year 4001…then discover one of the most acclaimed publishers in comics today with one new major VALIANT FIRST #1 issue each month from May onward! Packed with all-new entry points from some of the most talented creators in comics, these are the titles that will have you reading Valiant FIRST when you head home from the comic shop:

*For Valiant’s dedicated pullbox subscription customers, celebrate the launch of VALIANT FIRST with a special expanded edition of RAI #1, featuring 16 extra pages of in-story bonus features and dedicated looks inside the world of 4001 A.D. that won’t be collected for the trade paperback!

Valiant is proud to debut the official video trailer for RAI #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new ongoing series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT) and superstar artist Clayton Crain (X-Force, Carnage)! Now set to arrive in stores on April 30th – one week earlier than previously solicited, and just in time for Free Comic Book Day 2014 – discover the world of 41st century Japan with an all-new vision of the future unlike anything you’ve seen before!

The year is 4001 A.D. – led by the artificial intelligence called “Father,” the island nation of Japan has expanded out of the Pacific and into geosynchronous orbit with the ravaged Earth below. With billions to feed and protect, it has fallen to one solitary guardian to enforce the law of Father’s empire – the mysterious folk hero known as Rai. They say he can appear out of nowhere. They say he is a spirit…the ghost of Japan. But when the first murder in a thousand years threatens to topple Father’s benevolent reign, Rai will be forced to confront the true face of a nation transformed…and his own long-lost humanity…

On April 30th, Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain’s one-of-a-kind adventure proves that there is nothing else in comics like RAI! Contact your local retailer to pre-order your copy today, and look for the RAI #1 PLUS EDITION – featuring 15+ pages of all-new, in-story content that won’t be collected for the trade and limited to initial orders – in stores the same day!

This summer, there’s six new reasons to read VALIANT FIRST! Beginning with RAI #1, look for a major new #1 release from VALIANT FIRST each month – and a brand new reason to jump on board the most acclaimed publishing line in comics today:

For a sneak peek inside each monumental VALIANT FIRST release, look for the ARMOR HUNTERS FCBD 2014 SPECIAL – featuring previews of RAI #1, ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4), X-O MANOWAR #24 (PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS), and much more – available at participating Free Comic Book Day retailers everywhere on May 3rd, 2014!

*For Valiant’s dedicated pullbox subscription customers, celebrate the launch of VALIANT FIRST with a special expanded edition of RAI #1, featuring 16 extra pages of in-story bonus features and dedicated looks inside the world of 4001 A.D. that won’t be collected for the trade paperback!